Nextar I4-BC GPS Navigator

Performance-wise, this Nextar tied for the top spot. It mapped out the route quickly, was accurate, responded to rerouting promptly, and offered a direct route. It has turn-by-turn, voice-guided directions with pronounced street names. The device, which contains maps of both the U.S. and Canada, also features many route options: quickest, shortest, major roads, and local roads. Although entering an address was a snap, the unit was not rated particularly easy to use in general, mainly because it took many steps to get to the points-of-interest menu in order to search through the 1.6 million preloaded ones. A nice bonus: The unit comes packed with a backup camera for safety. The product displays speed-limit alerts, and can play MP3 songs and view pictures if you use an SD card. nextar.com.

Includes: car adapter, pouch, wireless cradle, USB port, touch pen/stylus, windshield and dashboard mount. Software updates are available via the purchase of an SD card, which updates the device and the maps.